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The Englishman was absent from the FA Cup quarter-final against Wigan with an ankle injury sustained in the 3-1 win over Reading, with his Dutch team-mate starting in his place at centre-back.

Though Heitinga had not previously started a Toffees match for over a month before Saturday, Moyes told the club's official website ahead of the game: "Johnny has got the experience and has played a lot of games at the top level. He will be given the opportunity to show what he can do."

Defensive colleague Leighton Baines has also spoken glowingly of Heitinga's ability to replace Jagielka, citing his significant international experience as a big factor.

"Jagielka is going to be a big loss for any team because he is such a big defender but it's a luxury to have someone like Johnny to call upon," the left-back enthused.

"With all his experience, he is definitely the man to step in.

"It's like-for-like and not as though we are going to play someone out of position. He is someone who has played a lot of games and has won a lot of international caps playing there."